Such a Pretty Face
by floraldoll
Summary: Times have been tough since the mind-rain fell down. Jeffy, a natural-born Pretty, is struggling to find her place in a world where being Pretty isn't so readily achieved as it once was, and being an Ugly is becoming the norm.
1. Natural Morning

We are ruled by numbers here. Well, a certain number. The face rank. Every time someone looks at me, I know they wonder immediately, _Name, Face Rank, Age, Clique?_ I am number one hundred fifty-two as of this morning.

However, when I woke up in my bed at 10am, I did not immediately flip on my Interface Ring and rummage through the updates on my wallscreen. Instead I stared at the glossy white ceiling of my Pretty apartment, with the Pretty walls and Pretty furniture. Everything was Pretty, Perfect, and Pukemaking. And I didn't really care for any of it.

There was a knock on my door, well, rather, a loud SLAM and then a bang followed by muffled curses as someone struggled through the wooden door. Edie had finally arrived. She toppled into the room, a mess of violet hair and big green eyes. Her outfit was loud, too loud for the morning and yet she was very much awake.

"That damn door, Jeffy, why do you insist on being all Rusty? I wish you had a slider like the rest of us!" I heard this little rant nearly every morning that she picked the lock to my apartment and burst inside. I told her each time she could just use the key that I had given her, but that was far too easy for someone like Edie. She liked challenges, and she'd make ones for herself when none existed.

I forced out a loud sigh, as if I was upset with her. "You know, I gave you a key for a reason." Her cacklelaugh split through my quiet room and I cringed internally; it seemed that she was going to be just as loud as her shining green dress that was a little too short. It matched her eyes perfectly, of course. Every week, her eyes changed to match her outfits. She had a high enough face rank and credits to spend them on whatever her Pretty little heart desired.

Of course, I've got enough credits to spend on whatever I want to look like, too, but it's not like I'll ever change anything about me. I'll still always be me. Boring, plain, natural Pretty Jeffy. And holy hoverboard, do people love it.

Edie made a point of sitting down on my bed and taking up all the possible space that her tiny Pretty body could handle so that she could squeeze me off of it. When I finally gave up resisting and landed on the floor with a thump, she let out a squeal of triumph and ordered me to get dressed. "Wear something exciting! We've got a morning party to head to, Jeffy-Effy. None of your boring nature-muck colors today." So demanding.

I stumbled into my closet and stared at clothes around me. I could feel myself growing bored with the day already, and it had barely even started. I should have been all Bubbly and happy-making, but instead I wanted to grab the nearest shiny scarf and strangle Edie and then myself with it. Ew. Not a thought to share with other Pretties, to be sure.

I finally settled on a short sky blue dress, one not nearly as insane as Edie's, but it was passable to her. She rolled off my bed and rummaged around my room, accessorizing me and fixing my hair like she always did. I was her Pretty little Barbie, like what Rusty kids used to play with. I smiled to myself with that thought. Pretties were like Barbies, but real and maybe a bit more terrifying. "What are you smiling about, Jeffy-Effy? Thinking about all the Pretty boys who are going to ogle at you and ask your name today? I know I am!" She giggled and flipped on my wallscreen with my Interface Ring, flipping through all of my messages that had accumulated overnight. "Oh, there's that Terence boy from last night."

"Who?" I asked stupidly. I don't really remember people. There are too many, too many to know and keep happy and memorize. They change their faces so much. But me, I stay the same old natural. "Don't be stupid, Jeffy. That boy with the delicious gold hair. He smelled like chocolate and... other things." She giggled evily, like she couldn't share what else he smelled like with me. I struggled to remember. Golden hair. Golden hair... "Wait. Was he the one wearing like a crazy Rusty black jacket? Looking all Oldie?"

"Yea! Yea, him! Ugh, he was _so_ Pretty, Jeffy. I think he liked us both. Maybe we can take him for a spin." She winked and flipped on some weird hyper-pop song, the kind of music she loved to annoy me with.

"Ew, Edie, you know I don't do that. Spend time with him in the Pleasure Gardens if you want, I'm not going to." She pouted at that. "Fine, grumpy-gadget. But I'm friending his Pretty butt. We're gonna get you a boy sometime. You can't be single and stubborn through all your Pretty years." I laughed at that. I'd like to see her try and force an empty-headed Pretty boy on me. Most of them were like that Narcissus guy, back from the really old Rusty days of like Cleopatra. Apparently, he liked his own natural Pretty face so much that he fell in love with himself and it got him killed. Can't say I'd never seen a Pretty boy walk into something because he was too busy admiring himself in a wall-mirror.


	2. Party Pretties

"Oh, I LOOOOVE that dress!" It was practically shrieked right in my ear as the girl with bubblegum pink hair unwrapped her arms from around me and saw Edie's wild outfit. Of course she loved the shining green dress. Everyone through the night had and I guess I loved it too, only because it fit her perfectly. It was loud, loud, loud. Just like everything Edie did.

Mena grabbed Edie by the wrist and twirled her about, letting out a cacklelaugh. She was loud, just like Edie. But, Edie could only stand her so much because everyone knows two loud people can't really get along for a long time. That's why when Mena hugged her tightly, Edie gave me one of her looks. Her looks mean a lot of things, and this one meant something like: "If we have to spend the whole night with this rank-sucker, I'm jumping off the nearest party tower". At least, that's what I think it meant anyway.

When Mena finally let her go, Edie zipped right back over to stand by me. I don't know why she spends so much time with me. I guess it's because we balance each other out. She is the biggest Party Pretty I know. I'm probably the quietest. Maybe she just likes being best friends with a Natural. It keeps her interesting; keeps her name on everyone's lips.

We were saved then, at the arrival of some other Party Pretties, ones who didn't like to clique-hop, as some Pretties were fond of doing.

One of them, Aden, barreled into me and lifted me up high above his head. "Well if it isn't little Natural Jeffy-Effy! And sexy Edieee!" My head spun, and he finally set me down. He gave Edie the same treatment, and she giggled like a Littlie. Then, his arm slid around my waist as he pleaded with me. "Please tell me that you'll at least scream or take your clothes off tonight, Jeffy. You're my favorite Party Pretty, but you never actually party when we go places!"

I laughed. "I do party! And you know I always find you the best party spots around." He let go of me and shrugged, only because he knew I was right.

I looked him up and down. His dark skin was a natural part of him, but the gold eyes definitely were not. They reminded me of the gold that all the rich Rusties used to put on everything back in the old days. A bracelet throbbed quietly on his wrist, the tiny light blinking every thirty seconds or so. Every time it lit up, I knew someone, somewhere was talking about Aden Clairing and probably word-babbling about how he was a Party Pretty or how cool he was. He'd come up with the bracelet himself, and Edie had one, too. He'd figured out a way to hook up the bracelet to his interface ring and to the giant Network of Pretties and Uglies everywhere so that it would track whenever someone said his name. I think it made him feel special. Sort of like that Narcissus guy I talked about before.

He _was_ awesome though. His face rank was up somewhere in the fifties, and it only went higher as the night grew on. I imagined mine was probably going to grow too, after the night was over. It always did. Edie liked to joke that one day she and I would be at the very top, minus the ever-famous Tally of course. That girl would probably hold the number one spot forever, I figured.

The rest of the night shifted into a whirlwind of bubbly drinks and loud hyper-pop after I led them to a particularly Bubbly party that was sure to be the latest on all the city feeds. When we got there, the lights of Aden's and Edie's bracelets kicked into overdrive. I watched them flash away like pings on my wallscreen after a good night of partying.

We lost track of time after awhile as our partying grew more wild and insane. At one point, Edie threw herself off a party tower and giggled as the bungee suit shot her down a hill and into a group of Extras mingling outside a Pleasure Garden. We all got a kick out of that and rushed down to meet her, using the same method of course. I did a backflip off the wall; you can't be a Party Pretty without doing things with style.

The suit tugged on my body, and it didn't hurt as I bounced down the hill. But my tiny body sent me flying even further down the hill and straight into the Pleasure Gardens. Definitely a laugh-making moment.

Only, I didn't expect that I'd bounce right into someone, but that's exactly what I did. When I'd finally stop giggling as if I'd lost my head, just like Edie would have done, I found myself face to face with none other than the golden-haired boy, Terence. Edie had been right. He was _so_ Pretty.


	3. A Garden

Face to face with the golden haired boy, it was the first time I'd gotten to really look at him. And I mean _really_ look at him. I was drunk off my Pretty butt, but bouncing down a hill and crashing into someone can sober you up a bit.

This time though, he didn't rock the Rustie look, and I wondered if he'd kept his slick leather jacket. I looked him over thoroughly, saw his straight, perfect nose, the lips that had just enough fullness. His eyes reminded me of chocolate, but with bits of gold flecks mixed in. Edie had been right about his smell, too. He smelled delicious. Just like chocolate. I wondered if his eyes and smell were meant to remind people of it. But it was about then that I realized I was sitting on his stomach and he was laying flat on his back, and we were in the middle of a Pleasure Garden.

"I'm so, SO sorry!" It came out slurred and I felt like a stupid, bubbly Pretty. Which, some people might argue that that is exactly what I am most of the time, but that's their opinion. I rolled off of him, clumsily, and landed in a bush. How graceful.

He just laughed. Holy hoverboard, if Edie had been there, she would've been all over him right then. His cacklelaugh was the kind that makes you happy to hear it, as if it's a special gift made for you and no one else.

"I've had girls land on me before, but never quite in that way." I'd been laughing with him, but I stopped. So he was _that_ kind of guy. I struggled out of the bush, which is hard when you're drunk and tired.

"I, uh, I better go. I need to find my friends." I didn't even make it out of the dark corner before he was up and grabbing my wrist. I stopped short and stumbled. My motor skills weren't quite back up to speed just yet.

"No, wait. Please." He let go and stepped in front of me, hands out in front, asking me to stay. "That's not really what I meant. I, ah. I don't know. I guess it's true, but I can't just lie."

"You're here waiting for someone, aren't you?" I didn't stick around for an answer. Instead I pushed past him, wanting to get away. "Have fun with whoever she is." I was angry, and I didn't know why. I wasn't sure if I was angry with him or myself, as I didn't even know him. In truth, I was acting like a Littlie at the start of a temper tantrum.

He stepped in front of me again. I felt like yelling out for Edie or Aden. "Actually, no. I'm hiding from someone. If you can believe it." He let out a shaky laugh. Was he nervous? A Pretty boy like him? From what Edie had babbled on about him from before, he was supposed to be an Adonis; he was supposed to be the Pretty boy that all the girls wanted.

No, he was just scared about being discovered by whoever he was hiding from. If that's what he was doing. I highly doubted it.

Anyways, I sure didn't want him. "Listen, I really have to go. My friends will be worried that I like, disappeared. Sorry for landing on you and all that."


	4. Name Game

"Your name is Jeffy, right? Jeffy Veras." I imagined for a moment that I had one of Aden's bracelets on my wrist and it flashed brightly.

"Yea." It was quiet except for the sound of people laughing and yelling at the party towers nearby, and the whispers of lovers there in the garden. It felt awkward to stand there and not say anything. But I never talk. I just party and let Edie treat me as her little Rustie Barbie. "And you're, ah, Tyler…? Troy?"

"Terence. It's Terence." He looked a bit hurt that I didn't remember his name. Looking back, I realize he didn't even mention his last name.

"Right. My bad." We stood there. He stared at me and I could feel him wondering. Everyone wonders, "_How much of her is real?_" I waited for the question, but, it never came. I don't know if it surprised me, but I think it did in some way. Part of me wanted him to ask me, to delve in deeper and try to open me up.

"JEFFFFFFY!" The shriek made us both jump and I stumbled drunkenly past him. "Bye. Uh. I'll see you around. Terence." I had to throw in his name, to remind myself. I made a mental note to try to be a little bit better at learning people's names. I left him behind in the Pleasure Garden and searched for Edie, listening for her voice. I didn't feel like dealing with the emotions of somebody I hardly knew. I deal with that enough on a daily basis.

I found her in a pretty sensible way. We smacked headfirst into each other and I saw lights as bright as waking up to a wallscreen with a pukemaking hangover. We both let out a groan, but the bubbly drinks in our systems curbed the edge. I'd be downing some bogus happy drink to get rid of my hangover and a headache in the morning.

Edie let out her signature cacklelaugh and pulled me up with the help of Aden and some other Party Pretties after we made sure our Pretty faces weren't ruined for the night.

"What took you so long, Jeffy-Effy? Did you find a boy to exchange face ranks with?" I shrugged and then shook my head. She wrapped her arms around my neck and planted a kiss on my cheek, letting me feel loved. Edie is good at that. She makes everyone feel loved and we love her, too.

Aden trailed over to me and his arm slipped around my waist, where it always seemed to be. He pulled me tight and we all walked away, everyone wordbabbling about how awesome that trick was, it was sure to be all over the newsfeeds within hours.

I was more quiet than usual, despite my attempts to act like I hadn't run into the golden-haired boy. I felt different. I wasn't sure how, but a part of me felt like I'd done something wrong, or I'd sneaked a kiss with someone I shouldn't have.

"Hey, Jeffy, you up for crashing an Extras party? I hear they've got some crazy new bubbly drinks; the tech-heads have these dream-making shots that make you go hyperwild." Aden said it quietly in my ear, and he looked at me eagerly, pleading with his eyes for me to go. Much like when the boy Terence had wanted me to stay. I only nodded and smiled. He smiled too, and so did the rest of the Party Pretties. I had a feeling we'd be out until dawn, maybe later.

**Ahh, sorry for the delay in updating! However, I've got two new chapters with this update, 4 & 5! My chapters are only about 550+ words, which I apologize for, but that's why I'm trying to get a lot done. ****Thanks so much for reading, and I'm super psyched that people are actually reading this haha. Anywho, reviews are always more than welcome.**


	5. RankUps

When we hit the scene at the Extras party, I noticed that the other Party Pretties's bracelets barely even blinked now, they were just a solid light, only occasionally going dark. I flipped on my eyescreen for a moment to glance at the the Party Pretty numbers. Aden Clairing, thirty-seven. Edie Saint, eighty-five. Jennyfer "Jeffy" Veras, _sixty-eight_. I saw videos on almost every single newsfeed of Edie hurtling off the party tower, and then me flipping off backwards gracefully, and the rest of the Party Pretties following in perfect unison.

I was shocked; how had I jumped so quickly, and so high? But, I didn't say anything to the others. It's an unsaid rule that Party Pretties never discuss rank in public. That's only for rank-suckers and clique-hoppers. Trying to boost your numbers intentionally means leaving the Party Pretties. We're here to party, not to rank-up.

Aden stayed close to me as I danced my way through the party. A hoverboard zipped overhead without a rider and one of the Party Pretties, Xander, grabbed hold of it and it took him away and up a staircase. I watched, amused, and then returned to dodging the sweaty bodies of Extras and Pretties.

A girl with psycho white eyes and black hair with blue streaks intermingled in stopped us as we headed up a ramp to an upper deck. "Holy hoverboard, you're- you're Aden Clairing and Jeffy Veras! I have Party Pretties, at my party?" She squealed and did this odd little dance in front of us, and I just stared.

"Well, it _is_ a party, bright eyes. And that's what we do. You're Ronni Meers, right?" Aden had turned on his charm; his voice was silky smooth and he'd left my side to get into the girl's personal space-bubble. I thought she was going to pass out as she nodded about ten times. Aden will always be a celebrity to these people. It's easy when you're as handsome as him.

"Could you direct us to those new dream-making shots? I heard they'd be here, at _your_ party." He stressed the word and Ronni Meers wordbabbled the directions to him, gushing about how bubbly and awesome and wonderful they were.

We both smiled our thanks and trailed away, leaving Ronni Meers to spread it around that she, an Extra, had Party Pretties at her party.

We found the drinks easily, and I couldn't help but feel that we had more eyes on us than when we had first arrived. Word had gotten around fast. "Let's go find Edie, I want to give her a drink. What do they call these anyway?"

"DreamOut. And just ping her where they are, she'll be fine. Let's find the roof, Jeffy." He looked at me funny. Why did he keep doing that? But I'd already taken a shot of DreamOut and it was starting to affect me, so I ignored the thought. I pinged Edie quickly and then followed behind Aden with my hand in his, like a Littlie following an older sibling.

The shot made everything brighter and the people around me looked like liquid at the edges. The chorus of screams, laughter, and wordbabble mixed in with the music to sound like an orchestra of hovercars around me and I felt dizzy. But Aden's hand kept me rooted to the shiny silver floors of the Party Tower of Ronni Meers and I followed him up, up, up.

He pulled me through a slide door and set me down, and when my vision stopped swimming, I realized we weren't on the roof and I was a little confused.

**Two updates in one day, whoo! I had a little bit of a writer's block, but I freed myself from it so I hope to be updating more frequently for you guys. 3**


	6. Bubbly Drinks

I stared at the place where the shiny wallscreens met with the floor, both too bright for my buggy eyes. My head felt like it was filled with bubbly drinks and too many words, getting all jumbled up. The thin line along the edge of the floor kept me rooted to the bed that Aden had planted me on and I tried to remember why I was there in the first place. Hadn't we been going to the roof?

He messed around with the door control pad and in the back of my head somewhere it registered that he had locked the door. I thought for a moment that it was silly, someone would have a key of course. Moments later I let out a short, odd laugh because the door wasn't stupid and quiet like mine, it didn't use keys. Such a pretty door.

And then a pretty face. Right in front of me and his lips touched mine before I could process it. I did the automatic thing and leaned into him and felt his hands on my hips and everywhere else. Time moved like it was on a broken wallscreen, all choppy and halted.

Thoughts formed slowly in my head. Once again, that place in the back of my head was pushing through the pretty-making haze in my head and saying something about Edie, wouldn't she be angry? And why had we ditched her? No, no. She was fine. She liked that pretty blonde boy. He had chocolate eyes, just like Aden's skin.

But he wasn't keeping me tight to the floors and the ground anymore and the world was swimming and ugh I wanted to get away. But his hands, so nice, so dream-making, pulling at my dress that Edie had picked out. Oh, Edie again. And bright lights. The wallscreen played hyperpop loudly and the lights that vibrated with the beat hurt my eyes and made me dizzy again.

He stopped playing with my dress and his hands tugged at his white shirt and he lifted it over his head. The lights of the room seemed to be screaming at the both of us and everything felt twisted up inside of me. The shirt landed on the floor and I stared at it while he kissed along my neck, trailing his lips along and down to my collarbone. A shiver ran down my spine and Aden looked up at me, smiling. Such a pretty smile…

The voice that had been yelling at the both of us just as loudly as all the lights somewhere in the back of my head finally broke through all the blurriness. I began to panic and mumbled a quiet "No" at first and then it came out of me louder until I pushed him away with "No, stop!" and a shove.

"What's wrong, Jeffy-Effy? I thought you wanted this." I felt like pukemaking. He tried to kiss me again and I shoved him away. "No! I don't want- I don't want to. Edie will be mad. Edie. I need to find Edie." I stumbled past him and fumbled with the keypad for the door, trying to open it in my drunken haze. Aden grabbed my arm and I yanked it away, finally unlocking the door to nearly fall out in the hall. He followed me out, still shirtless, yelling at me to come back. There were Extras in the hall and I pushed past them, calling out for Edie.

**Ah, hi guys! Sorry it's been so long since I last updated! I've been super busy lately, but I'm posting two chapters today and I'm already working on Chapter 8 for you guys. Thanks for all the reviews lately as well, they've been a BIG help. And for those of you who want to know what Jeffy looks like, I'll be sure to include that here soon. I've had plans for awhile on how to integrate that into the story, so don't worry dears! Anyway, thanks SO much for sticking with Such a Pretty Face! 3**


	7. Pukemaking

Extras parted for me as I searched through the halls of the Party Tower, looking everywhere. I was still under the haze of the DreamOut, so it was hard to even recognize anyone in all of the faces.

I finally bumped into Xander on the bottom floor who was dancing with some girl and I dragged him off to the side. "What the hell Jeffy?"

"Have you seen Edie? I need her. Right now." He gave me a weird look. "She's out back, kid. Are you okay? You look like shit." I just waved him off and headed for the open double doors that led to a garden behind the tower.

She was standing with some Extras, all boys of course, when I spotted her. I practically sprinted to her, nearly tripping because of the DreamOut. "Hey, dear! What's my little Jeffy-Effy been up to?" I cringed, remembering how Aden had murmured it in my ear.

"I want to go. Now."

"Now?" She added to the pile of weird looks that I'd been given throughout the night. "But Jeffyyyy! We're having so much fun!" She whined and glanced over at the boys she was standing with, their attention fixed entirely on her Pretty face and Pretty frame.

"Yea. I need to go. Please, Edie. I just need out of here. At least help me get home." Any minute, Aden could show up and I'd managed to avoid him in the Tower while looking for her, but I was afraid he'd walk out the backdoors any minute.

"Jeffy, I just can't tonight. I'm _busy_." She threw a look over her shoulder at the boys standing behind her and I couldn't help but scowl at them. I didn't care if I was being selfish, I wanted to go home and I wanted Edie. My Edie.

"Why don't you get Aden to take you home instead? Or one of the others Party Pretties? I'm sure they would. I just can't help you tonight, sweetheart. You understand, right?" I wanted to say no. Every part of me wanted to scream it at her and throw things and knock over the boys behind her but instead I just nodded slowly and backed away.

I turned away finally and wandered back inside, looking for another Party Pretty who wouldn't let me down. Clare, a newer girl in our little clique was just inside the door and I stopped her, pleading for her to help me get home. I blurbed out an excuse that I was feeling sick and I needed to get home to get my Detoxi Pills to get all the drugs and drinks out of my system, which was partly true. After pleading with her enough and telling her that I'd let her in on some Bubbly parties coming up, she finally gave in and agreed to use her hovercar to get me back to my Pretty little apartment.

In the hovercar, the lights on the dashboard didn't sting my eyes as bad as all the ones at the party had. Clare flipped on the hyper-pop station and I clumsily flicked it off again. She started to argue but I threw her a look that said something like: "I _will _smack all the Pretty out of you" She shut up, so I leaned against the cool glass of the hovercar window and fell asleep.


End file.
